At Home at the Zoo combines Albee's classic, The Zoo Story, with its prequel, Homelife, to form a complete story of Peter (a book editor), Ann (his wife), and Jerry (a desperate man Peter meets in the park). The play begins by offering a revealing look at Peter and Ann's boring marriage and their brutal, failed attempts to communicate about it. The tone changes dramatically when Peter goes out to the park and meets Jerry. Jerry begins to tell Peter tale after tale, each more lurid than the next. Jerry appears to be completely alone; he can't even make a connection with his landlady's dog. At one point, he pulls a knife on Peter, but drops it. Peter is forced to pick up the knife to defend himself from Jerry's blows. As Peter holds the knife, Jerry grabs Peter and impales himself. Albee's brilliantly recombined play demonstrates the essential loneliness of humanity.
At Home at the Zoo guide sections
